A future Google-made car could come with a sticky front layer that, in the unfortunate event of a collision with a pedestrian, keep them stuck to the hood and bumper and so limit their injuries.
That’s judging from a patent that Google has been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Upon becoming stuck to this adhesive front, the pedestrian would be less likely to experience a secondary blow by, for example, hitting the windshield, roof or road after the initial strike.
Fewer hits should, naturally, result in fewer injuries – the only catch being that the pedestrian would then be left covered in the glue-like substance. According to this patent, on the vehicle, the sticky coating would be beneath an egg-like shell that would shatter upon impact.
It is unclear whether this innovation, as is typically the case with recently-patented technology, is likely to actually feature in a publicly-released product. The Chicago Tribune reports concerns among some automotive and pedestrian experts about the system’s supposed effectiveness, while a Google spokeswoman has noted that patents should not necessarily be relied on for inferring product announcements.
